Knife



E. KRAFFT.

KNIFE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, I921- iiiillil Patented May 23, 11922.

WITNESSES KNIFE.

relates.

Application filed April 29, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL Kimrr'r, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Baltimore, in the State of hlaryland,have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Knives, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a knife, and more particularly to a. knife forcutting the rind from bacon or a like purpose.

The object of the invention is to provide a knife having a-guide or gagemeans associated therewith whereby the rind from bacon may beexpeditiously and economically removed.

It is also an object of the invention that the knife be adapted "forslicing the rind from bacon in eithera rightor left hand direction.

It is a further object of the invention that the knife may also beutilized for slicing the bacon in strips after the rind has been removedtherefrom.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the preferred embodiment of my knifeand the same being applied. for removing the rind I from a strip ofbacon,

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the blade and gulde means, andparticularly illustrating the manner in which the guide means isadjustably held with relation to the blade,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the tubular member for supportingthe ball bearings and likewise the similar portion of the blade, theportions of the blade and tubular member being broken away as shown,

Figures d and 5 are views similar to that shown in Figure 2, butillustrating modified forms for adjustably holding the guide withrelation 'to the blade.

Figure 6 is a detail view illustrating the manner in which the guide maye accurately adjusted.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figures 1 to 3inclusive, 10 indicates a knife blade which is preferably ofthe-thickness shown in Figure 2 and having the cutting edges 11 and 12.The edge 12 extends along one edge of the top face of the blade, whilethe edge 11 extends along Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23 Serial No. 485,563.

the one edge of the bottom face of the blade, and one side of the edgesare slightly inclined as shown. The blade 10 is also provided with ahandle 13 which may be of any suitable construction. Adjacent each endof the blade 10 there is positioned a stud or post 14. These studs maybe in the form of a. screw bolt extending from the blade as shown, andsuitably sweated or otherwise se cured to the blade, or they may beformed with the blade if such is thought tobe an advantage. In eitherinstance the posts are threeded as shown for receiving a knurled nut 15.

A compression spring 16 encircles each post and interposed between thecompression spring 16 and nut 15 is a collar 17, said collar in eachinstance having extending therefrom an arm 18. Each of the arms 18terminate in a tubular member 19 and sup port the same therebetween. Thetubular member 19 is closed at its forward end as indicated at 19 andalso provided with a slot 011 its lower side which extends from theclosed end 19 to the opposite or rear end of the tube, as indicated. at20 Figure 2.

The rear end of the tube is threaded to receive the screw plug 21, said.screw plug being slot-ted for ascrew driver as shown, and also havingits one side cut away as indicated at 21. This cut-away portion of thescrew plug may of course be brought into register with the slot 20, andthus permit a smooth surfaceto be presented on the lower side of thetubular member 19 and the entire length thereof.

In the tube 19 interposed between the closed end 19 and the plug 21 area-plurality of ball bearings as indicated at 23, Figure 3. These ballbearings are so held by the tube that they may be freely revolved withrespect to each other.

It will also be observed that each knurled nut 15 is formed withgraduation marks 15', said marks being arranged circumferentially of thetop surface of the nut as shown and adapted to be used in connectionwith an arrow 16' impressed in the adjacent top surface of each arm 1 asgauge in lowering and raising the arms 18 and tube 19.

In the operation of the present device, the knife is applied forremoving the rind from a strip of bacon as illustrated in Figure 1, inwhich 24: indicates generally the strip of bacon and 25 the rindthereof. As shown the edge 12 enters directly beneath the rind 25 andthe ball bearings 23 engage the top surface of the rind. The blade isreciprocated in the usual manner for slicing and the cutting edge willbe held for cutting the rind as close as possible, and thus avoiding anywaste whatever. As is obvious the ball bearings 23 freely roll upon therind and thus in no way retard the reciprocating movement of the blade10 when so operated for slicing.

In case it is desired to make the cutting blade operate closer to therind, it is only necessary to manipulate the nuts for moving downwardlythe arms 18 against the tension of the springs 16, and in this mannerlessening the space between the tubular member 19 and the cutting blade10 which will in turn cause the cutting blade to operate closer to therind 25.

Any predetermined adjustment of the tube 19 with respect to raising orlowering, the same may be made by utilizing the graduation marks 15 andthe arrows 16.

In case a deeper cut of the blade is wished, then of course it is onlynecessary to loosen the nuts 15 and permit the arms 18 and tubularmember 19 to rise. Shoal d it be de sired to move the blade 10 in anopposite direction, that is, for permitting the op rator to use his lefthand instead of his right hand, as illustrated in liigure 1, it is onlynecessary to remove the nuts 15 from the posts 1% and turn the guidemember so that the same will project from the edge 11 instead of fromthe edge 12. When it is desired to use the knife for slicing the baconinto strips after the rind has been removed, then the edge from whichthe guide does not project may be utilized for this purpose, as forinstance in Figure 1, the edge 11 would be utilized for slicing, and asis obvious the tubular member 19 would in no way interfere whenutilizing the knife for this purpose.

Referring to Figures 1 and 5, in which modified forms for adjusting thespace between the arms 18 and the upper face of the cutting blade 10,are shown,in Figure 1 a square post 26 is substituted for the threadedpost 14, as shown. in Figure 1. The collar 17 is of course formed withan opening suitable for sliding upon the post 26, and by the means of aset screw 27 the position of the arms 18 may be adjusted with respect tothe cutting blade 10, the set screw 27 being preferably provided with abutterfly nut 28 for convenience of its manipulation. In Figure 5 thesprings 16, as shown in Figure 1, are not used, and for the knurled nuts15 there is substituted a nut 29 which is formed with an annular slot 30about the central portion thereof, and the upper portion of the nutknurled as at 31 so that it may be easily manipulated. V

The arms 18 are each formed with a pair of semi-circula r portions attheir inner ends which are adapted. to encircle the annular groove 30 ofthe nut 29, and also these semicircular portions extend outwardly fromthe nut and are provided with registering openings through which a boltmay be passed for binding them together upon the nut, as generallyindicated at 32.

In Figure a the post 26 may be provided with graduation marks upon oneside thereof as at 33, and thus the extent the arms 18 and tube 19 areraised or lowered may be accurately determined. In Figure 5 the nutQilmay have its top surface graduated as in the case of the nuts 15 andlikewise arrows 16 may be made in the arm 18.

I claim 1. A knife of the character described, comprising incombination, a slicing blade, a slicing guide carried thereby, and meansassociated with the guide adapted to facilitate' the sliding movementthereof over the surface with which the same may contact duringreciprocation. of the slicing blade.

2. A knife of the character described, comprising in combination, aslicing blade and a. guide extending therefrom disposed in a planeparallel to the plane of the blade, and roller means associated withsaid guide means to permit an easy sliding movement over the surfacewith which said guide may contact during the reciprocation of the knifefor slicing.

3. A. knife of the character described, comprising in combination, aslicing blade, a handle on the one end thereof, a pair of arms extendingfrom the upper face of said blade, a tubular member carried between saidarms having a slot in the lower side thereof, and a plurality of rollerbearings in said tube.

i. A knife of the character described, comprising incombination, aslicing blade, a handle on the one end thereof, a pair of armsentendingfrom the upper face'ofsaid blade, one near each end thereof, atubular member between said arms having a slot in its lower sideextending longitudinally thereof. aplurality of roller bearings withinid. tubular member, portions of which are adapted to extend'through theslot in said tubular member.

5. A knife of the character described, comprising in combination, aslicing blade, a handle on the one end thereof, a pair of arms extendingfrom the upper face of said blade, a tubular member carried between saidarms having a slot in the lower side thereof, and a plurality of rollerbearings in said tube, and means by which said arms may be adjustablyraised or lowered with respect to the upper face of the cutting blade. 7

6. A knife of the character described,

comprising in combination, a slicing blade having its cutting edgeslightly inclined on its lower side and terminating with the forwardedge of the upper face of the blade, a handle on the one end thereof, apair of arms extending from the upper face of said blade, a tubularmember carried between said arms having a slot in the lower sidethereof, and a plurality of roller bearings in said tube.

7. A knife of the character described, comprising in combination, aslicing blade, a handle on the one end thereof, a pair of postsextending from the upper face of said blade, one near each end thereof,an arm extending from each of said posts, and forward to the cuttingedge of said blade, a tubular member supported between said arms, havinga slot in its lower side extendinglongitudinally thereof, a plurality ofroller bearings within said tube, portions of which are adapted toextend from said slot, spring means for holding the arms in spacedrelation with the upper face of the blade, and means by which said armsmay be adjustably raised and lowered against the tension of saidsprings.

8. A knife of the character described, comprising in combination, aslicing blade, a slicing guide carried thereby, and movable meansassociated with the guide adapted to facilitate its sliding movementover the sur face with which it may contact during reciprocal movementof the sliding blade.

9. A knife of the character described, comprising in combination, aslicing blade, a

slicing guide carried thereby, and turnable means associated with theguide adapted to facilitate its sliding movement over the surface withwhich it may contact during reciprocal movement of the slicing blade.

10. A. knife of the character described, con'iprising in combination, aslicing blade, a slicing guide carried thereby, means associated withthe guide adapted to facilitate its slicing movement over the surfacewith which it may contact during reciprocal movement of the slicingknife, and means by which the distance between the slicing guide andslicing blade may be adjusted.

11. A knife of the character described, comprising in combination, aslicing blade, a slicing guide carried thereby, means associated withthe guide adapted to facilitate its slicing movement over the surfacewith which it may contact during reciprocal movement of the slicingknife, and gauge means by whichthe distance between the slicing guideand slicing blade may be accurately adjusted.

12. A knife of the character described, comprising in combination. aslicing blade. a. handle on the one end thereof, a pair of armsextending from the upper face of said blade, a tubular member carriedbetween said arms having a slot in the lower side thereof, a pluralityof roller hearings in said tube, and gauge means by which the distancebetween the side of the slicing blade and the guide may be accuratelyadjusted.

EMIL KRA'FFT.

